Theory On Athiesm vs Religion

This is a new theory of mine. Literally minutes old, but I thought I had to post it before I forget it.

Would make some sense, but maybe it's just coincidence. Or maybe I'm just crazy lol.

This is how I spawned this little theory:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Now in this argument/theory, when I say Atheism, I'm talking about the manner of thought. "Atheism belief system, public school doctrine, Zeitgeist type perspectives, and some media." And I mean to use this term in a loose manner. I know public education is not atheism, but it's still applies to the argument. Now when I say Atheism, I am not talking about sincere science, including the concept of evolution.

Now when I say Religion, I mean "The church, complex religious structures, other media outlets, and etc." This term is also used in a loose generalizing manner in this argument and doesn't apply to Theism or Spirituality in general.

My Theory

Personally when I find truth in anything, lately I notice that the case seams to be somewhere in the middle of the two primary sides of argument. This may be global warming, religion, drama, etc. There is a conflict, and the truth would be clear to the eye, but both sides of the conflicts tend to introduce foul play and propaganda to win against the opposition, gain attention and support. Everything orbits around a central extremely simple point "truth," but the further out you go, the more complex it gets. Rather a crude analogy, but I'm personally finding this to be valid in MY point of view.

Generally, which half of the brain would you associate to be dominant in the stereotypical Atheism mass?

Generally, which half of the brain would you associate to be dominant in the stereotypical Religious mass?

Wouldn't it be primarily Left, then Right?

Now think about this:

Wouldn't are mode of contemplation and reasoning be most efficient if we equally consider both half's of our brains capabilities in our work?

Whatever your preference, researchers have noted that the overall brain works more efficiently if we not only work the side that is dominant for us, but spend some time working the less dominant parts. In other words right brain exercises will be beneficial to left brained individuals and left brain exercises will help right brainers. Building up both sides actually serves to facilitate better interactions between both halves which gives your brain a more well rounded ability.

Source
Simply stated, my theory is this:

"What if these systems of thought are not only designed to keep us divided as a whole, but also to keep us divided in ourselves. To teach us to use one side of the brain way more than the other?"

The Democrat and Republican party systems are designed to keep us divided as a whole, yet divided on a personal level, where we become like a carriage horse with visors on each side of our face giving us tunnel vision. This is an example of what I'm talking about. But I speak of on an even larger scale.

Atheism and Religion are designed to keep us divided from each-other to keep us away from unity and constantly spreading propaganda of our belief system, wither we know it or not, while also encouraging extra dominance of one side of the brain over the other.

In theory those who can meet in the middle between religion and atheism and grasp both concepts with open minds should logically be the most wholesome with themselves, and be more successful to sense the truth of what reality really is.

"What you believe is reality, doesn't change what reality is."

Logically this isn't something any form of high power would want it's live stock to become.

And yes humanity, we are LIVE STOCK.

Schools teach us to blindly except what we are told, and we are rewarded for regurgitating the "facts" on demand. While those with a free mind are criticized.

Religions teach the concept of blind faith and fallowership, while anyone who applies an even amount of logic are thrown into guilt for having doubts.

And yes humanity, we are LIVE STOCK.

I know this is a rather crude explanation and examples of what I'm thinking but tell me what you think.

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Scarcer]

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Scarcer]

I think your theory is brilliant. It rings very true with me. It's one of the simpler things and perhaps thats why noone has mentioned this before.

You could call it "government/religiously induced schizophrenia"

Divide and conquer works on every level from macro to micro.
Great idea!

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Lol well thanks for your comment.

That label gave me a laugh.

True religion supports true scientific analysis, reasoning and common sense. The problem is that people are almost incapable of that.

True religion isn't afraid of an analysis of the world and the individual condition in support of an objective assessment of life and religion. What drives the left/right brain are factors like ego, maturity, intuition, emotional state, intellect, etc.. You are right a balanced and objective view is a good thing. However, atheists are not objective thinkers nor are religious pretenders. The mind is a terrible liar and both are deceived. They are just people. The same fantasy right brain that pretends a Supreme Being doesn't exist, pretends left brain "data" proves evolution. The same process is used by the pseudo religious. Atheism is just another faith, one that derives it's god from another source.

reply to post by ReelView


That's a good perspective. You can have blind faith in anything or anything can appear to be fact.

I feel though that both exist in each position, yet each position "nurtures" one state of mind primarily over the other.

But the thought process is complex.

You can perceive the word of the bible to be "fact" just because it "says so," yet that takes some blind faith; absence of the use of free logic imo.

Yet you can have blind faith in atheist mindsets because it makes you feel good for being a part of something. Yet these thought systems propose "science and numbers," as facts. Which don't necessarily nurture emotions and faith in the concepts.

Again, as crazy as it sounds, atheism is itself, a religion. lol.

reply to post by Scarcer


This illusion has nothing to do with left/right brain as it is presented. The music, and the text ruin the illusion. Here's a better video...



No music, no text, just the spinning image. For me it spins both ways alternately at random times.

Prayer, Meditation Boosts Even Atheist's Brains

www.foxnews.com...

THE “GOD” CIRCUITS IN YOUR BRAIN:



From early childhood on, God exists in every person’s brain as a combination of ideas, images, feelings, sensations, and self/other relationships. Here is a thumbnail sketch of key neural structures and circuits that shape our perception of God:



OCCIPITAL- PARIETAL CIRCUIT

Identifies God as an object that exists in the world. Young children see God as a face because their brains cannot process abstract spiritual concepts.



PARIETAL- FRONTAL CIRCUIT

Establishes a relationship between the two objects known as “you” and “God.” It places God in space and allows you to experience God’s presence. If you decrease activity in your parietal lobe through meditation or intense prayer, the boundaries between you and God dissolve. You feel a sense of unity with the object of contemplation and your spiritual beliefs.



FRONTAL LOBE

Creates and integrates all of your ideas about God— positive or negative—including the logic you use to evaluate your religious and spiritual beliefs. It predicts your future in relationship to God and attempts to intellectually answer all the “why, what, and where” questions raised by spiritual issues.



THALAMUS

Gives emotional meaning to your concepts of God. The thalamus gives you a holistic sense of the world and appears to be the key organ that makes God feel objectively real.



AMYGDALA

When overly stimulated, the amygdala creates the emotional impression of a frightening, authoritative, and punitive God, and it suppresses the frontal lobe’s ability to logically think about God.



STRIATUM

Inhibits activity in the amygdala, allowing you to feel safe in the presence of God, or of whatever object or concept you are contemplating.



ANTERIOR CINGULATE

Allows you to experience God as loving and compassionate. It decreases religious anxiety, guilt, fear, and anger by suppressing activity in the amygdala.

markrobertwaldman.com...

I think the Excerpt from Chapter 7: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD GETS MAD? Anger, Fear, and the Fundamentalist in Our Brain

speaks volumes

THE TWO WOLVES

Once upon a time, or so the Cherokee legend goes, a young Indian boy received a beautiful drum as a gift. When his best friend saw it, he asked if he could play with it, but the boy felt torn. He didn’t want to share his new present, so he angrily told his friend, “No!” His friend ran away, and the boy sat down on a rock by the stream to contemplate his dilemma. He hated the fact that he had hurt his friend’s feelings, but the drum was too precious to share. In his quandary, he went to his grandfather for advice.

The elder listened quietly and then replied. “I often feel as though there are two wolves fighting inside me. One is mean and greedy and full of arrogance and pride, but the other is peaceful and generous. All the time they are struggling, and you, my boy, have those same two wolves inside of you.”

“Which one will win?” asked the boy.

The elder smiled and said, “The one you feed.”

We all harbor a pack of neurological wolves in our brain. The old ones reside in the limbic system, and they are filled with aggression and fear. They’re fast, efficient, and potentially deadly, and they’ve been running the show for 150 million years. The younger ones reside in our frontal lobes and anterior cingulate, where empathy, reason, logic, and compassion reside. These pups are playful and imaginative, but they are also neurologically vulnerable and slow when compared to the activity in the emotional parts of the brain.

So, when it comes to making sophisticated moral decisions, which one will win? The selfish brain or the cooperative one? Again, as with the two wolves, it depends on the one you feed. If you allow anger and fear to dominate, you will lose the neurological ability to think logically and act compassionately toward others. In fact, it is nearly impossible to find peace and serenity if your mind is preoccupied by negative, anxious, or hateful thoughts.

Excessive anger or fear can permanently disrupt many structures and functions in both your body and your brain. These destructive emotions interfere with memory storage and cognitive accuracy, which, in turn, will disrupt our ability to properly evaluate and respond to social situations.1 Anger makes people indiscriminately punitive, blameful, pessimistic, and unilaterally careless in their logic and reasoning skills.2 Furthermore, anger encourages your brain to defend your beliefs—be they right or wrong—and when this happens, you’ll be more likely to feel prejudice toward others.3 You’ll inaccurately perceive anger in other people’s faces,4 and this will increase your own distrust and fear. It’s an insidious process that feeds on itself, and it can influence your behavior for very long periods of time.5 Eventually, it will even damage important structures in your brain.

Nor is it good for your heart. Regardless of your age, gender, or ethnicity—anger, cynicism, hostility, and defensiveness will increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular problems.6 What makes anger particularly dangerous is that it blinds you to the fact that you’re even angry; thus, it gives you a false sense of certainty, confidence, and optimism.7

When people use their religion or politics—or even humor or teasing8—as a weapon to aggressively disparage others who embrace different beliefs, they unwittingly stimulate the other person’s brain to retaliate with similar aggression. Aggression and hostility shut down activity in the anterior cingulate and striatum—the two key areas of the brain that control anger and fear—and when this occurs, the amygdale takes over, generating a “fight or flight” response that is spread through every other part of the brain.9

Where then is the seat of the soul?

If you allow anger and fear to dominate, you will lose the neurological ability to think logically and act compassionately toward others.

This then makes perfect sense and explains why we struggle with one another,

Fear.

We have been programed by life and life's experiences, if you are programed by religious elders that teach you to fear and hate others who are not like you, triggers that old monkey brain activity,

If you see god as an angry avenger who is to be feared, you might do anything you are told, justifying violence in his name for the sake of the tribe.

It explains why we try so hard to convince others, it is the us or them mentality,

We are all guilty,

Atheist are just as guilty, when they try to discourage or malign believers,

As usual it is all about control, and we seek to control because we fear.

We should be past this by now.

The fact that we are not is what confuses me.

Originally posted by fmcanarney
Where then is the seat of the soul?

You are a living breathing soul, IMHO.

The breath of life.

Why?

Interesting theory. It could hold some weight.

I saw the dancer as spinning counter-clockwise the first time I opened the video, and clockwise the second time. I was able to switch freely and easily. But then, I'm somewhat of an artist with a very logical mind and I find I use both sides of my brain in everyday life.

I'm an atheist with spiritual beliefs, but I don't try to convince other people that my views are right or tell them how to believe and I totally support freedom of (and from) religion.

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Interesting theory. It could hold some weight.

I saw the dancer as spinning counter-clockwise the first time I opened the video, and clockwise the second time. I was able to switch freely and easily. But then, I'm somewhat of an artist with a very logical mind and I find I use both sides of my brain in everyday life.

I'm an atheist with spiritual beliefs, but I don't try to convince other people that my views are right or tell them how to believe and I totally support freedom of (and from) religion.

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]

Then you are a well balanced individual,

In this world there are several splits, in time they will be all connect to source once again, which belongs to Love freedom and justice for all.

Originally posted by silentassassin
In this world there are several splits, in time they will be all connect to source once again, which belongs to Love freedom and justice for all.

That is lovely, I never understood all the suffering.

Even when I was young, I would ask why.

Thanks for you're posts, I'm still contemplating.

Well any way, if it does prove which side of the brain you use more then it's still neat.

For me it's clockwise. I remember seeing something like this when I was younger, and I could easily switch directions I was seeing it on the dime. Now it takes me a few moments with some concentration to switch directions.

What has age and doctrine done to me

I remember hearing about that before, but it was about 2 dogs fighting each-other, and the person asked which one will win. "The one you feed more"

Very wise quote.

Yeah, personally I find it is much more beneficial to let people remain in what ever belief system they want to be, as long as they remain happy and aren't a disturbance to me or others.

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Scarcer]

Hi I'm Nick.

I think you're theory is great !

I'd like to point out, that an Atheist is someone ho doesn't believe in god or god's.
Atheism will stop to exist when others believe will end.

So you can't be an atheist with spiritual believes.
An atheist simply doesn't believe it to be real.

greetings

[edit on 12-12-2009 by Sinter Klaas]

www.abovetopsecret.com...

That thread kind of goes along with this one.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

That thread kind of goes along with this one.

reply to post by EMPIRE


Oh thanks, never saw this thread before.

Have to take a look